Downton Abbey star Lesley Nicol, who plays Beryl Patmore in the hit series, appeared on a U.K. chat show to speak about the new film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Maggie Smith died in September 2024 (Image: ITV)
Lesley Nicol, who portrays Beryl Patmore in the beloved series Downton Abbey, appeared on the UK chat show This Morning on Friday morning. She sat down with hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond to discuss the upcoming film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – and her bond with the late Maggie Smith.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale arrives in theaters on September 12 and marks the final chapter of the cherished Downton Abbey movie franchise. The original Downton Abbey film debuted in 2019, with A New Era following in 2022.
Maggie Smith portrayed Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, from 2010 to 2015 and returned to the role in two movies. Violet Crawley passed away at the conclusion of the second film, as actress Maggie Smith tragically died in September 2024.
Nevertheless, executive producer Gareth Neame assured that the third movie would feature a tribute to both the character and to Smith herself.
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Lesley and Maggie began working on the hit series simultaneously, and during her appearance on This Morning, Lesley revealed: “He wrote 18 leading characters because it was a proper ensemble.”
Lesley Nicol says they would go months without speaking on set(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
“And in the middle of it, you’ve got a world-famous star, Maggie Smith, who never wanted to be special or different at all. She wanted to be part of the gang.”
Alison then inquired: “You didn’t speak to her for the first, was it six months? You didn’t actually speak to her?”.
Lesley then asked whether Alison meant in real life or in the show, to which she replied: “In real life.
“Yeah, probably,” Lesley laughed. I was a bit scared of her, but in the end, we used to have really good chats,” as she admitted she was star-struck.
“In the show, I don’t think I ever said a word to her,” Lesley continued. “I don’t think I did.”
Alison then joked that Maggie liked a “tipple,” as Lesley began to speak about how the cast had a wild party and all ended up jumping in the pool.
Maggie Smith died in September last year(Image: ITV)
Maggie Smith tragically passed away in September 2024. The Academy Award-winning performer and Harry Potter icon died peacefully in the hospital, surrounded by her loved ones.
In a statement released through their representative, they said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in the hospital early this morning, Friday, 27th September.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”